When Isabella Ruyu Yan smiles, and you see her orthopedic devices and her little stature, you might think of her as beautiful or sweet. But when the 13 -year -old enters the tennis court, we must not confuse his laser approach and his desire to crush his opponents.
This determination of steel has seen the young regina player win three national titles in a row: U12 in 2023, U14 in 2024 and more recently the national title U16, to overthrow the players two years older and larger than her.
“It’s very crazy that you have won the U16 nationals,” Yan said after returning to his local court at the Lakeshore Tennis Club. “I never thought I could win the nationals at the beginning, but at the time you win that last shot, it is incredible. I love the feeling of winning.”
When asked if he is intimidated by assuming larger competitors, he is not sure for a moment.
“Most people are intimidated for me because I am really brief and small,” he says with a smile.
His coach and dad say that there is no one in Saskatchewan, child or adult, that he can give him the competition he needs.
Yan’s parents could be their greatest fans. His father Sam Zhou describes his daughter as “his little girlfriend,” but also marvels at his lethality on the court.
“Every time the ball sees come, he wants to hit her hard,” he said.
Since Yan began playing at seven, Zhou has dedicated himself to helping his daughter achieve her potential, working two works in paratransit and trucks to help her with her training costs and travel competition.
“You have to sacrifice yourself, right?” said.
Regina’s tennis player Isabella Ruyu Yan is 13 years old. Last month, he added another national title to his list of victories. She is determined to reach a Grand Slam in the future and will not let her age or size stop her.
Yan’s two parents give credit to their coach Marek Nehasil, saying that he would not be where he is without him.
Nehasil said that while there are elements of the game in which Yan needs to work, what he really needs is to travel internationally for the competition. Ideally, that would give some points of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to move on to a higher level of tournaments.
“She is a very compromised player … Luckily she can stay compromised,” said Nehasil.
Yan already has a sponsorship through Sports Brand Head (although he dreams of the final association with Nike), but his father says that even smaller companies would benefit from associating with it now.
“She is the one. In my mind, I never doubt it,” he said. “This young woman, I guarantee, in less than three years, you will see her on national television.”
And although in tennis, love means zero: for this father and daughter, love means everything.
“If I didn’t have it, I would obviously be in the place where I am. He has been there through my ups and downs,” Yan said. “I am really grateful for him.”
When describing the sport of tennis, Yan compares it to the use of a fly palette. She gives her hand a swing, imagining holding a racket and tries to think about the right analogy.
“It’s as if you were killing a fly.”
